1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a tracking control system for a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as a video tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus (VTR).
2. Description of Background Art
In peripheral scanning type recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as VTRs, tracking has to be performed for adjusting relative position of a magnetic head mounted on a rotary head drum to be at a predetermined position relative to a recording track on a recording medium, such as VTR tape. Conventional VTRs facilitating slow reproduction mode, usually perform normal tracking control and slow tracking control for tracking the magnetic heads relative to the recording tracks. For instance, when VTR is operated in fast reproduction mode and normal reproduction mode, the normal tracking control is selected for controlling phase of a capstan motor. On the other hand, when the VTR operates in slow reproduction mode, the slow tracking control is selected for controlling a braking device for a capstan motor.
Adjusting magnitude for tracking the magnetic head relative to the recording track tends to fluctuate between individual VTRs due to mechanical errors in tape driving system and differences in the braking period of capstan motor. This requires adjustment of magnitude of tracking control with respect to each VTR. In addition, since each individual VTR has its own unique tracking adjustment magnitude, additional adjustment is required to compensate differences of tracking adjustment magnitude in reproducing video signals that have been recorded by means of different VTR.
In order to allow the aforementioned control, tracking volumes which are operable through rotary dials, are provided in each normal tracking control circuit and slow tracking control circuit. Therefore, the user selects one of the tracking volumes corresponding to the selected reproduction mode, to perform tracking with respect to VTR tape recorded by means of different VTR to minimize noise in the video signal to obtain the optimum tracking condition.
On the other hand, when the VTR tape has been recorded by means of the same VTR, the tracking volume corresponding to the selected reproduction mode should be returned to an initial or normal position or a center click position to obtain a suitable tracking position.
However, such conventional tracking control operation is troublesome work for the users. For instance, the conventional tracking control system requires selection of one of two tracking volumes for performing tracking control operation. When the selected one of the tracking volumes does not correspond to the selected reproduction mode, suitable tracking cannot be made.